Hey frequent cruisers, big question about shore ex... - Page 2

fairydogmother · ‎03-10-2010

@Spacrazy wrote:
Well, let's look at the bright side - you'll get to drink a lot.

Haha right?!

Harmonize the World

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@fairydogmother I gave you a suggestion on your original post about hiring a taxi on the docks and having the driver take you on a tour of the island, all while sitting down.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

ScrapHappy · ‎03-28-2010

I've never been one to do port excursions except to find a spot on the beach. Though I have been on a couple of excursions that was relaxing to do but leading up to it took work. Like getting to the place, they're usually remote. In Tortola the most popular excursion is going to the Baths. You'd think it's simple enought and very relaxing, but inside there is actually a lot of climbing/stairs and it's very steep. A lot of cruises have their own island now. Does the cruise you're going on have their own island? Usually those activies are pretty mild. I've taken some scenic driving tours but found most of them kind of boring. But I do recommend that if you do excursions, please do those that are charted by the cruise line.

TwinkleBell · ‎10-07-2020

@FancyPhillyshopper wrote:

Are you already booked and confirmed on your cruise? I do not know what your stops are, but I have been to most of the Western Caribbean ports.

I would never tell anyone not to cruise, because cruise ships can offer accommodations for those that may need them (elevators, wheelchairs), but yes, you need to pay strict attention to the shore excursion information. First of all, you are traveling to countries that may not have any regulations for physical accommodations.

Well, husband and I are in terrific shape for our ages and we usually book "strenuous" tours, which for him are not quite as difficult as other activities he does regularly (ski, bike, scuba, kayak).

I LOVE to climb Latin American temples (Inca, Aztec, Maya, etc.), and have visited dozens, but yes, it can be VERY, VERY difficult. Most of the time a person has to walk a great distance in extreme heat and jungle paths to first arrive at the building. The stair stones are uneven in size, some are eroded, there are no handrails or just ropes, the site can be crowded with people jostling, etc. Some people get scared trying to come down, and have to slide down instead of walking down the steep steps.

I have done the snorkeling often--one must actually jump from the boat into 20/30 feet of water with the fins on to snorkel, and then climb back in--it is the way true snorkeling trips are usually run.

We have cruised often with older family members and we always make sure we take them on bus tours (limited walking), or get taxis for them, or just do a day at the beach where they can wade into the water. BUT, we stay with them the entire time.

Overall, Key West is low level energy to visit--the Butterfly observatory is pretty, and the Hemingway house is not too difficult to navigate. There are many bars and lots of shopping.

You may want to do an Internet search for accessible tours in ports. If you are traveling solo, you may wish to consider booking some personal/private transportation to visit some places, and hopefully they could provide assistance as well.

~~~~~~~~~

My gosh, @FancyPhillyshopper The next few times you travel, will u pls .. squeeze me into your pocket!! I'd would super enjoy ALL of your adventures! heh!

Feelings are simply human
How we deal with, ..or express those feelings .. is our choice
. ~ . Please be kind . ~ .

cindyNC · ‎08-01-2019

Oh my goodness, I have the same exact problem now. My knees and I can't walk long distances or climb lots of stairs. We love to cruise and my BF can still do these things.

I don't have any solution for you, but lots of empathy.

FranandZoe · ‎03-09-2010

Was that 6 hr tour of ruins in Cozumel the only one to ruins? My husband and I did a Mayan ruins tour in Cozumel - shore excursion from a cruise ship - and no way was it that long or strenuous. Also Key West is pretty laid back - nothing too strenuous there. There was an observatory where we had to walk up a lot of steps tho so might not be for you. We didn't snorkle. I agree just a tour around the island might be for you - there are often horse drawn carriage rides for this too.

Eileen in Virginia · ‎08-25-2010

Ten years ago, we went on a Mediterranean cruise with my in-laws. My MIL was in her 80's at the time, was pretty fit and insisted she could handle the strenuous excursions (she thought the cruise line was exaggerating the difficulty level). RIGHT! Our first strenuous excursion nearly did her in. After we got back to the ship and caught our breath, we reviewed our remaining strenuous excursions and switched them to more manageable ones.

I think Kachina made a good suggestion to hire a taxi for the day to take you around the areas that interest you. We did that while on a cruise to Bermuda (it included a few hours at the beach) and it was money well spent. Another suggestion is to search reviews of the excursions your cruise line runs, focusing on the accuracy of the difficulty levels for each. Generally speaking, cruise excursions aren't cheap, so you don't want to waste money on ones that you can't thoroughly enjoy. Bon voyage!

reiki604 · ‎03-09-2010

The great thing about cruises is that you can do as much or as little as you want. On one trip to the Bahamas with my family, we chartered a catamaran to take us snorkeling. I am not a strong swimmer and was too nervous to jump into deep water so I stayed on the boat while they went. I was provided with drinks as i lay on the deck reading and dangling my feet in the water if I got too warm. It was a wonderful day and we all enjoyed it. You can always opt for less strenuous adventures or do what you can. No one is going to force you to do anything although you may take into consideration that the fitness levels stated may not be for you. The fitness levels are usually pretty accurate.

'I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man'.......Unknown

RespectLife · ‎02-27-2012

@fairydogmother wrote:
@Spacrazy wrote:
Well, let's look at the bright side - you'll get to drink a lot.
Haha right?!

Oh but be VERY careful there! I have seen other cruisers run up HUNDREDS of dollars on bar tabs easily!

If you enjoy an occasional cocktail...look to purchase a package as it will save you a LOT of money.

They just love to get us to hand over our room card/charge for all those drinks!!

RespectLife · ‎02-27-2012

@Kachina624 wrote:
@fairydogmother I gave you a suggestion on your original post about hiring a taxi on the docks and having the driver take you on a tour of the island, all while sitting down.

@fairydogmother

Oh but again, be VERY VERY careful hiring taxis unless they are approved by the cruise lines.

There have been terrible incidents of tourists getting into 'local' cabs and being robbed, threatened etc. Once our co-travellers did that and were taken to a local market....drugs, etc were being sold as well as trinkets. They were so scared they spent a fortune buying stuff they didn't want. They were followed and coerced.

We have cruised over 20 times and would NEVER use cabs. If you are looking for a nice tour, pay the money for a Cruise Excursion.

I would never risk it, especially women.